IIIF for Educators

Gemini Lab Activity 3

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Gemini Lab Activity 3

💡 Concept

A sketch showing a Bonnie Cashin layered outfit Bonnie Cashin is widely credited as a pioneer of "layering" in American fashion. Before Cashin, a woman's outfit was typically conceived as a single, rigid silhouette. Cashin, however, designed with a philosophy she called "dressing to live." She recognized that modern women were constantly moving between different environments—from brisk outdoor commutes to centrally heated offices, or traveling across different climate zones on airplanes.

To accommodate this, Cashin created modular components: thin knit turtlenecks, sturdy leather vests, canvas tunics, and voluminous "Noh" coats. These garments were designed to be mixed, matched, and literally peeled off as the temperature or activity dictated. This approach was highly textural, often mixing contrasting materials like soft cashmere with heavy suede. Layering wasn't just a styling trick; it was a deeply functional approach to modern living.

 

🖥️ Activity

In this lab, you will analyze Cashin's approach to the modular wardrobe. Use the Mirador viewer below to explore examples of her layered ensembles or sketches showing multiple garments worn together. Focus on how the pieces interact: look at the contrasting textures, the necklines, and the voluminous shapes that allow garments to fit over one another. You will copy the manifest of an item, paste it into the Cropping Tool, and extract a specific detail that illustrates this layering concept.

 

👓 Examples

Use the embedded Mirador viewer below to view the items. Zoom in to look closely at where different garments meet, such as a collar over a sweater, or a vest over a blouse.

 

🧱 Materials

You can view items on the Library Digital Collections site by clicking these links. The IIIF manifest URLs are below each item.

https://iiif.library.ucla.edu/ark%3A%2F21198%2Fzz0000layer1/manifest
https://iiif.library.ucla.edu/ark%3A%2F21198%2Fzz0000layer2/manifest

 

🛠️ Tools

 

🪜 Steps

Cropping a IIIF image
  1. Copy the manifest URL of the item you would like to crop from the Materials section above and paste it into the Cropping Tool.
  2. Click the thumbnail in the left column to load in the IIIF Cropping Tool viewer.
  3. Zoom and view.
  4. To crop a detail from the image, click the white pencil icon, and highlight the desired rectangle by clicking and dragging a rectangle from corner to corner.
  5. A thumbnail of your selected detail will appear in a slider at the bottom of the Cropping Tool. You can repeat to collect multiple details.
  6. Click the Copy icon Copy icon on the left side of the thumbnail.
Posting with an image
  1. Click Reply.
  2. To enter your image details, simply paste into the text field.
  3. Repeat for additional images.

 

✉️ Share

Post your cropped detail showing an element of layering or modular design. Write a brief reflection (100-150 words) addressing the following: How does this specific combination of textures or shapes support the idea of a "modular" wardrobe? How does this design choice reflect a shift in how mid-century women were interacting with their environments?

Post by (DUE DATE)

 

🤝 Collaborate

You are encouraged to view, read, and respond to posts by your peers. Respond to a classmate: Do you see elements of Cashin's modular, layered approach in how we dress and navigate the world today?

Interact by (DUE DATE)

 

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